Apparatus for gluing packages



Oct. 16, 1951 J. D. CONTl 2,571,204

APPARATUS FOR GLUING PACKAGES Filed Feb. 18, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. D. C ONT/ Oct. 16, 1951 co 2,571,204

APPARATUS FOR GLUING PACKAGES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1949 11 I u IIIIIIIII INVHVTOR. JOHN D. C ON T! Illlum.

Oct. 16, 1951 J. D. coNTl 2,571,204

APPARATUS FOR GLUING PACKAGES Filed Feb. 18, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 L Q MM Oct. 16, 1951 J. D. CONT! 2,571,204

APPARATUS FOR GLUING PACKAGES FiledFeb. 18. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1 /IIIIIIIIII/lllll 'IIIIII'IIIIIIIIII/ mmvrox. JOHN D. CONT! Patented Oct. 16, 1951 APPARATUS FOR GLUING PACKAGES John D. Conti, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,116

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for applying glue or other cement to opposite side flaps of a package which is filled and ready to be closed.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide apparatus adapted to apply glue to the side flaps of a traveling package in which means is provided for varying the distance between the adhesive applicators in accordance with the size of the package. Auxiliary objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawing and the description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figures 1 and 3, t

Figure 3 is a side elevation with a part of the paneling removed to expose the driving mecha- 13111.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figures 1 nd 6, and

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 1, the filled carton of cardboard, pasteboard, or the like, is shown in the dotted phantom outline at 3 and proceeds to the adhesive applicator from the right hand end of the view, being fed by a continuously moving belt 4. The belt 4 feeds the package 3 on to the continuously moving belts 5 which carry the package through the adhesive applicator section which comprises a stationary table or plate 6 above the surface of which rotatable balls 1 protrude and serve to guide the package from the table with a minimum of friction. The belts 5 discharge the carton onto a conveyor comprising a plurality of feed belts 8 (six being shown) which are continuously driven and carry the package through another stage of operation.

On either side of the adhesive applicator section there is an upstanding carriage 9 in the form of a housing. These carriages have transverse grooves 10 which are adapted to fit upon fixed tracks I I (see Figures 1 and 4). The tracks co-operate with the grooves to guide the reciprocal movement of the carriages 5. The inside vertical walls of the carriages are provided with roller inserts l2. The rollers are mounted on verti cal axes and protrude from the face of the housing to serve as frictionless guiding and/or driving means for the carton. The rolls [2 may be mounted for idle rotation on their axes or they may be mounted for positive drive as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Adhesive applicator rolls l3 protrude from the top walls of the housings 9 and may be positively 2 driven such as by the motor I4 and a chain 15 (see Figures 3 and 4 particularly). A tension sprocket l6 biased by a spring I! ma be provided to control the tension in the chains I5. As shown in Figure 4, the roll. [3 is mounted on a shaft 3 so that it is partially immersed in a bath of the adhesive material contained in a receptacle I9 formed in the housing 9. The motors I4 and the driving connections are carried along within the housings 9 when the latter move toward and away from each other.

This movement of the housing 9 is effected by means of chains 20 and racks 2| which are secured to the bottom of each housing 9, as by means of the bolts 20a and 2 la respectively, and extend beneath the table 6. Chains 20 and racks 2| are driven from a common shaft 22. One of the chains is driven by a sprocket 23 on the shaft 22 (see Figure 4) and the other is driven from a sprocket 24 on a shaft 25, parallel to shaft 22 and driven from it by means of gears 26 and 27. The racks 2| mesh with gears 28 and 29 which are geared together by means of gears 30 and 3|. Gear 28 is driven by means of gear 32 on shaft 22.

The shaft 22 carries freely rotatable thereon a gear 33 which meshes with a rack 34. The ro tation of gear 33 resulting from the action of rack 34 is transmitted to shaft 22 through a friction clutch 35, which serves to rotate shaft 22 but allows slippage when resistance to rotation of shaft 22 exceeds a certain value. The rack 34 is carried on a pin 36 secured at a point on the disc 31 eccentric of the shaft 38 towhich the disc is fixedly secured for rotation therewith. A yoke or saddle 35a is swingably carried on shaft 22 and retains rack 34 in engagement with gear 33. Shaft 38 is driven by a chain 39 from a shaft 40 which is secured to one of the members of a single revolution clutch 4|, such as the sleeve mem-- ber. The core member of the clutch 4| is driven by the driving shaft 42 and the clutch is provided with a member having a projection 43 for controlling the engagement and disengagement of the sleeve member with respect to the core member thereof. A lever 44 having a detent 45 which engages the projection or lug 43 is integral- 1y secured to the core 46 of a relay having a coil 41. The lever 44 is pivotally mounted at 48 and a spring 49 normally urges the detent 45 into engagement with the lug 43 which controls the release or disengagement of the sleeve member from the core member of the clutch. The sprocket 39a has half as many teeth as the sprocket 39b, so that a complete revolution of shaft 40 effects only a half revolution of shaft 38 So that 3 alternate revolutions of shaft 48 cause alternate advance of the carriages 9 toward one another and the intervening revolutions of shaft 40 cause receding of carriages 8 to their most widely separated position.

The disc 31 has a cam face provided with a rise 31a. Lever 58 pivotally mounted at 5| and provided with a follower roll 52 for engaging the cam surface of disc 31, carries at its upper end a shaft 53 provided with a sprocket 54 which is driven by a chain 55. The chain 55 derives its power from a sprocket 58 fixedly mounted on a shaft 51 to which is fixedly secured a bevel gear 58 which meshes with a bevel gear 53 fixedly mounted on shaft 22. The shaft 53 has fixedly secured thereon two axially spaced rollers 58 which are alternately caused to project above the surface of the table 5 as shown in Figures 1 to 3 (in which position they serve to advance the carton past the adhesive applicator rolls |3 to the discharge belts 8) and to be retracted beneath such surface in response to the motion derived from the cam 31.

Means may be provided for driving the rolls |2. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, this means comprises the common driving shaft 5| having sprockets 52 at each end which drive chains 83 and in turn sprockets 84 which are slidably mounted on splined shafts 85. The shafts 55 carry bevel gears 85 which mesh with bevel gears 51 mounted on the vertical shaft 88 and carrying fixedly secured thereon gears 88. Gears 89 mesh with the pinions 18 carried on shaft 1| to which the rolls l2 are fixed. A tension sprocket 12 may be provided to co-operate with each chain 63.

From each housing, a shaft 13 projects. At its upper end each shaft carries an arm 14 which has a roller 15 rotatably mounted on its end so that oscillation of shafts 13 alternately move the rollers 15 toward and away from adhesive applicator rolls I3. See especially Figures 1, 5 and 6. Shaft 13 has fixed thereon a gear 18 which is intermeshed with a gear 11 mounted on a stud shaft 18 and adapted to be rotated by a lever 18. Lever 19 is secured to the core 88 of a relay comprising a coil 8|. A lever 82 carrying a counterweight 83 is fixedly mounted on the end of shaft 13 so that when the coil 8| is deenergized, roller 15 is lifted from roller l3.

Switch elements 84 and 85 are disposed in the path of the carton and are urged upwardly into the positions shown by spring means (not shown). These switch elements, as shown in Figure l, are closed when depressed by the passage of a carton thereover. As shown in Figure 6, the switches 84 and 85 are in series with the coil 8| and a source of electric potential 88 so that when the switches are both closed, energization of coil 8| occurs and the rollers 15 press the flaps of the carton against the adhesive applicator rolls l3. A similar spring-urged switch element 81 is disposed in the path of the carton and it sweeps past a contact which is in series with the coil 41 and a suitable source of electric potential. This sweeping of element 81 past its contact momentarily closes the circuit which.

energizes coil 41, but when the element 81 reaches its lowermost position under the carton, such circuit is again opened so that the coil 41 is deenergized. Upon upward motion of switch element 81, caused by spring means (not shown), another momentary closing of the circuit occurs, causing energization of coil 41 to release the projection 43 of clutch 4| and then deenergization of coil 41.

Operation of the mechanism is as follows:

As a carton is delivered by belt 4 on to belts I with its top flaps still open and extended from the filling operation, opposite flaps are guided by the sloped ramps 88 which merge with the top surface of housing 9 containing the adhesive applicator rolls l3. The foremost end of the carton closes switch 81 which energizes the solenoid 41, thereby engaging the one-revolution clutch 4|. This drives the disc 31 causing the rack 34 to drive shaft 22, which causes the moving together of racks 2| and the fastenings 28a of chains 28. This movement causes the housing 9 to move inwardly toward the carton until the side walls of the carton are engaged by the rolls I2. When this occurs, any further motion of racks 2| and chains 28 is halted and the friction clutch 35 allows gear 33 to rotate freely about rotating shaft 22. Rotation of disc 31 also causes (through rise 31a and lever 58) the rollers 88 to be elevated to the operative position shown in Figs. 1 to 3 where they advance the carton past rolls |3 to belts 8.

In the meantime, switches 84 and 85 have been closed by the leading end of the carton, causing energization of solenoids 8| and the pressing down of the side flaps against the adhesive applicator roll l3 by the rollers 15. As shown in Figure 6, switch elements 84 and 85 are disposed beyond and behind respectively the rolls 15 so that 84 assures that the leading edge of the carton flaps have entered the nips between rollers l3 and 15 before the latter are depressed while element 85 assures that rolls 15 are lifted before the trailing edges of the flaps leave such nips.

When the first switch 84 is allowed to re-open by passage of the rearmost end of the box thereover, solenoids 8| are deenergized, causing the rollers 15 to be lifted and after passage of the carton onto the conveyor belts 8, all of the switches 84, 85 and 81 are opened so that the detent 45 catches the lug 43 of the clutch 4| and causes stoppage of the carriage moving means. Since switch element 81 in returning to the position shown in Figure 1 after a carton has just passed beyond it, sweeps past the contact and momentarily closes the circuit to coil 41, such coil is again energized, allowing detent 45 to release the projection 43 of the control member for clutch 4|. This causes another half revolution of the disc 31 and the return stroke of rack 34, racks 2| and chains 20, thus positioning the housing 8 in readiness for the next package of different size.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for sealing cartons comprising means for conveying a carton having its upper end open and its upper flaps projecting laterally therefrom. containers for an adhesive on opposite sides of the conveying means, applicator means projecting above the containers for transferring adhesive from the containers to the underside of the side flaps as the carton is conveyed past the applicator means, the containers being movable in a direction transverse the direction of travel of the conveyor means, means for adjustably moving the containers, and means actuated by contact of the carton therewith for automatically initiating operation of the adjusting means.

2. Apparatus for sealing cartons comprising means for conveying a carton having its upper end open and its upper flaps projecting laterally therefrom, containers for an adhesive on opposite sides of the conveying means, applicator.

means projecting above the containers for transferring adhesive from the containers to the underside of the side flaps as the carton is conveyed past the applicator means, pressing means,

above the applicator means for urging the side flaps downwardly against the applicator means, said pressing means being movable into and out of pressing position, and means, comprising an element positioned at a. predetermined point along the path of the carton on the conveyor means and responsive to the movement of a carton beyond that point, for actuating the pressing means.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which the containers are movable in a direction transverse the direction of travel of the conveyor means, and means is provided for adjustably moving the containers, and a second element is positioned at a second predetermined point along the path ofthe carton on the conveyor means and is responsive to the movement of a carton beyond the second point for actuating the means for moving the containers.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the applicator means comprises a rotatable roll arranged to be partially immersed in each of the containers and projecting partially above the container, and means is provided for rotatthe rolls,

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the conveyor means comprises retractible rolls for assisting the forward motion of the carton on the conveyor.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which each container forms a part of a carriage having a top wall comprising an upwardly sloped surface disposed just before a horizontal surface above the container provided with an opening through which the applicator roll projects, and the carriages have inside walls facing each other provided with protruding rollers rotatably mounted on vertical axes.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 comprising means for driving at least some of the protruding rollers.

' JOHN D. CONTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,223,176 Johnson Apr. 17, 1917 1,659,718 Bergstein Feb. 21, 1928 1,982,697 Royal Dec. 4, 1934 1,999,480 Reid Apr. 30, 1935 2,438,809 Kay Mar. 30, 1948 

